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3 Sheetsnsheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. KNOTT.. COTTON CONDENSER.

jiji.

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. KNOTT.

COTTON CONDENSBR.

No. 305.695. E Patented sept. 23, 1884.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 3.

. J. KNOTT.

COTTON GONDENSBR.

Pate

No. $965,695. ed sept. 2s 1884.*

JOHN KNOTT, OF MADISO, GEORGIA.

coTToN-ooNDENsER. Y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,695, dated September 23, 1884.

Application flcdNovembcr 1, 1893.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN KNOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Morgan and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Gondensers, of which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings,and letters of reference thereon, is a specification.

My invention relates to machines used for separating such dust and trash from cotton as are not removed therefrom in the operation of ginning, for smoothing or laying cotton in bats, and for dofing or feeding it from the condenser. V i

My invention consists in certain combina tions of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and specically clain1ed,whereby certain beneiicial results are secured.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical cross-section of a condenser for cotton-gins with my invention applied. Fig. 2 is a partial vertical longitudinal section in the line y g/ of Fig. 3, showing the outer case, screen, one of the slides, and a passage covered by the slide in section, and the balance ofthe condenser in side elevation from the delivery side. Fig. 3 is a partialhorizontal section and elevation of the condenser, the line of section beingiindicated by x x, and the same being a correct indication, except that the section is extended the entire length of the slides.

A in the drawings representsa dust-tight outer case for inclosing the revolving screen or drum B. This case is provided withfthe usual flaring induction-passage, a, on one side, and eduction-passage a/ on the other or opposite side. The revolving screen 13, having both its ends open and of a length considerably less than the casing A, is hung loosely, so

. as to revolve freely within `the case A, its

shaft C being suitably boxed in the framing of said casing, as shown,and one of its ends is extended to receive thereon a gear-wheel, l), which gears into a barrel-pinion, E, on apulleyshaft, E', said pulley-shaft being supported by a suitable bearing-bracket, F, on the,

outside of the case, as shown, or in any other more suitable manner. The boxes of the shaft C are fixedthatis,are not sliding-and in or (No model.)

der to have the gearing above described drive both the screen and the ordinary condensing and dofring roller, H, said roller is provided with india rubber bands d, for a purpose hereinafter described. The top part of thel `the circulation of air is provided, as shown,

and to this top portion a hinged ldoor or lid, a2, is applied, for the purpose of affording access into the case A above the screen B. At each end of the case a passage, c, is formed, which passages are closed by slides al. These passages are to afford entrance for the operators hands into the case and the cylindrical screen B whenever it is necessary to re` move any clogging substances from the inte rior of the screen, and they can be either opened or closed by the slides ai, which are fitted in guides a, and have one of their respective ends extended outside the case, so as to be conveniently manipulated. As the screen B is of considerable less length than the case A, there are dustgescape fines G G formed between its ends, the ribs b b, and the end walls of the case A'when the screen is fitted in position, and'the said dues extend down to the bottom of the screen, and there unite with the single dust or trash iiue Gtbelow the screen. The dust or trash iiue G may connect with conductors leading outside the building, or discharge into suitable receptacle-s at'any desired place. In the exit-passage a of the outer case the condensing and doffing roller H is applied, being hung in open hook-bearings c c on the outside of the case A. The bearings c c resemble an L or hook shaped staple, andare provided with gimlet-screw points at their entering ends, so that by turning one of the hooks or bearings a quarter of a revolution the roller H can be readily inserted into the eduction-opening a' in proper bearing relation IOO to the screens, or withdrawn when necessary. This construction of bearing is cheap, offers very little friction, and is very useful in connection with this special machine. The drivingbands d d of the roller H are made of thick india-rubber, in order to be compressible to a proper extent, and they 'are placed near eachend of the roller, and bear with frictional contact upon metallic rims d of the screen B, and by this means the screen isenabled to impart a positive revolving motion to saidroller H without any adjustment of the shaft of the screen being necessary, and thus other gearing for driving this roller is dispensed with.

Between the screen B and the roller H a space, e, is formed sufficient for the passage of the cotton between the screen and the condensing-roller, while at the same timethefrictional driving contact between the screen androller is maintained, and in order to prevent the cotton, which passes over the cylindrical screen from entering into the ilues GG or collecting and clogging between the rimmed ends of the screen and the ribs or partitions of the case A, and thereby ret-arding the revolution of the screen, leather flap-guards m., forming about half-circles, are applied at the respective ends of the screen, they being fastened to-the inner sides of the ribs and allowed to rest down close upon the rim ends of the screen, so as to close the joints between the said ribs and screen; and to prevent the condensed cotton from passing out above the roller H, an-

other iiap-guard, n', of leather or suitable materia-l, is fastened upon the Vcase A, as shown, and `allowed to rest down upon the roller, so as to .close the passage-way out of the case above the said roller. In addition to these leather flaps the induction and eduction surfaces or bottom boards are respectively made inclined, so as to insure the perfect direction of the cotton into and vout of the condenser.

Operation: The screen being caused to revolve by a belt leading to the pulley on shaftv Elfrom the gin-power, the roller H is set in motion by frictional contact of the screen. with its rubberbands d. The cotton being blown from the gin into the condenser through the opening a, is forcedi'n thin layers by the pressure of air from the beater of the gin over the screen, and by the revolution of the screen it is carried around to the condensing-roller, and being compelled by flap n to descend it passesunderthe roller and is doffed by the combined agency of said roller and the inner edge of the inclined bottom board of the'eduction-passage a and is discharged. By the combined action of the air and revolution of the screen upon the cotton iny its passage through the condenser, the dust or dirt is forced through the upper meshes of the screen screening material and out at the ends of the screen into dust-dues, and whereby access to the interior of the screen by means of the end passages and slides is afforded, and whereby all the dust by its gravity and the pressure of' the blast'is allowed to pass away from theoperators,is very impor-tant and has not heretofore been known.

I am awarethat machines have been devised'for condensing cotton and separating dust and trash therefrom, also, that ,cylindrical screens and condensingrollers have been applied in a case open at its ends, but I am not aware thatdust-flues, slides, any open-ended screen, a tight outer case, and flapv leather `paekingstrips have been employed for the purposes and in the manner I have shown and described.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

l. The revolving screen B, formedwith open ends, in combination with the tight case A, provided with dust-dues G G at the ends of the screen, and' the slides 'afor closing and opening passages a3 at the ends of the said case, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination ofthe outer case, A, the screen B, having rims d, the gearing for driv-y ing the screen, and the roller H, having indiarubber bands d, bearing on the rims d, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. rlhe""`cotton condenser comprising the tightly-closed case A, the slides a, passages af", induction and eduction passagesl u and a', the ribs Z1 b, the passage e, the flues G G G', the screen B with open ends, the Hap packingstrips m n, the roller H, having rubber friction-bands d, and the gearing for operating'the screen, substantially as and for the purpose described. y

' JOHN KNOTT.

Vitnesses:

DANIEL TOWNS, J osnrH C. Fnw, Jr. 

